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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · straw · shower · safe · mug · deal · mate · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — rain
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com